It hasn’t been too memorable of an offseason for the UCLA Bruins, but even without any marquee additions to Mick Cronin’s roster, UCLA still ranked No. 22 in the Rothstein 45, which was released on Wednesday.
The Rothstein 45 is an annual ranking by college basketball insider Jon Rothstein. UCLA is coming off of a Round of 32 loss in last year’s NCAA tournament, where the Bruins lost to the UConn Huskies, the eventual national championship runner-up.
UCLA was without leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau for the game, with the Bruins second-top scorer, Donovan Dent, going just 2-9 from the field in the game. This offseason, UCLA added guard Jaylen Petty and forwards Sergej Macura and Filip Jovic in the portal, focusing on depth rather than top-of-the-line talent.
We’ll see how it pays off for Cronin, who’s entering a very important season with UCLA. Last year’s team couldn’t find consistency, going 24-12, with moments of brilliance and major letdowns. After back-to-back second round NCAA tournament exits, this year’s UCLA fairs will shape the future of the Bruins program.
Rothstein still is showing faith in Cronin’s coaching, placing UCLA in the Top-25 despite the team having major question marks on both sides of the ball. A potential return is still possible for guard Skyy Clark, who is in the portal while he seeks an added year of eligibility from the NCAA.
Rothstein has five other Big Ten Conference teams ahead of the Bruins, including the national champion Michigan Wolverines. Rothstein has Illinois at No. 2, Michigan at No. 4, Michigan State at No. 7, No. 14 USC and No. 21 Purdue.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Jon Rothstein ranks the UCLA Bruins at No. 22 in his offseason ranking
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
